we heard nancy pelosi, democratic leader say she hopes president obama stands firm. that his campaign pledge was that anybody making more than $250,000 should have their tax rates go up to the bush era tax levels. but it sounds like there is room for negotiation. do you believe that democrats should give up on the $250,000 and say go with a million dollars if that will help strike a deal? >> well, i'm willing to compromise. i'm not that -- interested in going up to a million dollars. although i don't think a person is wealthy at $250,000. but i think that the president has got to work a deal and we've got to be flexible. let me just be very, very clear. if the president came and said that he struck a deal with boehner and mcconnell to go up to a million dollars, i would not be a happy person. however, i would go and have many conversations with myself and talk to myself about the fact that compromise is not necessarily capitulation. and that democracy requires compromise. we've not had democracy in many ways over the past four years because people believe that you kn